When a Celebrity Breakup Shines Light on Mental Illness

Sometimes celebrity gossip gives us the opportunity to examine our understanding of mental illness and shed light on the facts. ⁣

Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson were first seen out in public on May 13th, 2018 at the SNL afterparty. They announced their engagement on June 11th, 2018 and called it quits by October 14, 2018.

The blink-and-you-missed-it relationship/ engagement of Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson has come to an end.  Their highly publicized coupling was  closely followed and scrutinized  on instagram, leading many to react emotionally to their equally abrupt and dramatic ending. ⁣

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Davidson has spoken candidly about his diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and the difficulties it has posed in his personal and professional relationships. Instead of blaming his illness for the dissolution of their relationship, I urge you to consider how painful it is for people to go through breakups when they suffer from BPD. ⁣

BPD is characterized by the experience of unstable interpersonal relationships, fear of abandonment, “splitting”, suicidal thoughts and impulsivity.  Splitting comes in many forms but is characterized by black and white thinking. ⁣

Take this moment to reflect on the bravery it takes to speak out about this highly stigmatized and hard to treat mental illness and try to access your compassion.